37 thoughts on “Open Veins”
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Latin America: A Survey of History and Culture – Fall 2021
A Blogs@Baruch site
Latin America: A Survey of History and Culture – Fall 2021
A Blogs@Baruch site
Comments are closed.
Omar Malik
Notes:
Sorry about that, I clicked enter by accident while I was typing^
Omar Malik
Notes:
-Galeano was an editor of a socialist magazine
-He lived in exile in Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina
-He published articles for a lot of his life
-Galeano spent a lot of time with Native Americans and priests for cultural and religious purposes
-The church was a very significant symbol in Latin America
-Galeano’s political analysis was deemed important to Latin Americans
-Galeano’s writing style was unique, as it was poetic
-He elaborated on the importance of resources, as he mentioned the exportation process involving resources to and from Latin America (involving USA and Europe)
-“Open Veins of Latin America” is Galeano’s first work as well as his most popular work
-Hugo Chávez gave “Open Veins of Latin America” to Barack Obama
Comments:
I really respect Eduardo Galeano’s dedication towards his work. Despite having been penalized for bad reasons, he still continued to write. He informed all who read his work about the conflicts involving Latin America regarding trade as well as national and religious rivalries. This was important information to know because it involved a large part of the world being involved in the process. I also found it intriguing that Galeano had his own type of writing style because it definitely would make it stand out more and enhance one’s writing with more sophistication. I did feel sympathy for him when I heard about him being in exile, but I really respect the fact that the negative circumstances he had to deal with didn’t stop him from writing.
Ke Han Yu
– This book was the first time that someone complied Latin American history/events starting from the 17th and ending with the 20th century
– The author also fought the government after the coup, while he was a reporter
– The author spent most of his life living with Native Americans in South America
– Many leaders were influenced by his work. Obama for example, was given the book, “Open Veins”
– All in all, the book is a huge importance for people learning Latin American history
Comments:
Having one’s book become the staple of learning the history of a particular region is massive. His work doesn’t just cover one era, but rather the span of many centuries. I admire his time and effort in researching history to compile the information for this novel. I would trust his words when it comes to learning Latin American history due to the shear amount of effort he put.
I agree. His amount of effort was nothing short of extreme. His dedication definitely helped with his credibility.
By Alvin Liu:
Notes on Open Veins:
Galeano’s book was among the first that tells the coherent history of Latin America from the beginning to the 19th Century.
Lived with Native Americans and Priests
Priests were actually a progressive force back in the day.
Published many writings on political and historical events that happened in Latin America.
Chavez gave Open Veins to Obama. Hoping that he would learn the true history of Latin America.
While I was watching the video, I marveled at Galeano’s bravery during his time. He was risking his life by literally being a journalist during a Dictatorship, but he continued to write despite knowing the risks. If I were in his shoes, I would’ve quit my job to save myself and my family. In addition, I also had no idea that Chavez gave a copy of the book to Obama as I didn’t think this book is important. It seems that Chavez was hoping that Obama would learn about the consequences of U.S intervention in Latin America. Too bad Chavez’s country turned into a failed state after his death.
•He wrote this during the coup, whenever he had time.
•The first time someone put together a narrative of Latin America
•He was an editor of a socialist magazine until he had to live in exile in Buenos Aires.
•He still wrote articles and books during the war.
•A journalist that wasn’t a bookworm.
•He had an adventurous life.
•He lived with Native Americans in jungles like the Amazon and other parts of Latin America.
•He experienced many near-death situations.
•This book is like meticulous journalism, and he observes everything closely.
•He was an astute political analyst. Many people read what he wrote with care.
•He wrote with a sense of poetry and almost like a fairytale.
•“Open Veins” was his first book.
I’m surprised Eduardo had lived with Natives in the wilderness before. The other authors were people that researched about the Native Americans or went to conquer their land. However, he went to live with them even though they may have been prejudiced against them, which shows a huge amount of confidence. Surprisingly, he would be willing to live with them with the amount of intelligence, as a political analyst. You would think that someone as smart as him wouldn’t lower himself to the standard of living in the wild. Especially since the Natives were looked down upon.
Joseph Guedalia
Notes:
Galeano wrote this book while also doing manual labor, under harsh conditions
Galeano started as an editor of a socialist magazine
Lived in exile in Buenos Aires, Argentina
He published articles for most of his life
Galeano spent a good portion of his life with Native Americans
He also spent time living with priests for cultural and religious purposes
The church was a key symbol in Latin American culture
Galeano’s political analysis was very important to Latin Americans
The authors writing style was very unique in the poetic type of writing
Galeano influenced many post-dictatorship leaders
He was a very large proponent of imports and exports to and from America and Mexico/Latin America as well as trade with EU
This work of writing was his first and most popular writing
Hugo Chávez during his trip to the US as president of Venezuela brought this book “Open Veins of Latin America” and gave it to Barack Obama
Comments:
I found Galeano’s work to be incredibly interesting. He seemed to be incredibly well versed in the culture of Latin America and I think his time spent with Natives and Christian Priests was key to his writing. The culture of Latin America was deeply impacted by the assault on the natives and the love and devotion to the church. Had Galeano not spent time at these places I don’t think his writing would have been as well received. The fact that Chavez told Obama that this book was the key way to understand Latin American culture tells the whole story. Galeano really hit the nail right on the head and represented the culture perfectly.
Anabel Fernandez
– The book was a groundbreaking publication in the second half of the 20th century in Latin America.
– Eduardo Galeano was the editor of a magazine in Uruguay. He wrote at the cusp of a military coup (an established military dictatorship during the 1970s.
-He spent a lot of time living with the Native Americans on the Sothern tip of Latin America (South of Argentina and Chile).
– He spent a lot of time with priests; liberation theology was a huge component of the anti-dictatorship movement back then.
– The press was a very progressive force
– The church was a very progressive institution in Latin America.
– Many leaders of post-dictatorship-era were influenced by Eduardo.
Eduard Galeano’s work is quite impressive. He invented a new kind of storytelling, writing historical facts as if they were like a fairy tale. This feat alone is not easy, yet he did so gracefully; despite having his work cut out for him. Since he was very adventurous, he lived in the jungles in the Amazon along with Native Americans. His schedule was a busy one, but that did not hinder his performance in writing his book with such exquisite skills. Eduard has a keen eye for details and meticulously crafted his book in a manner that does not reduce the significance of grand historical events. His most distinct talent was writing in a sense of poetry and literacy. Thereby, making his book more appealing and entertaining to readers. Eduard’s book was not only an easy read but was enlightening. His political analysis of Latin America was done with care and attentiveness, something many people were waiting for. What struck me amusing was when Hugo Chavez brought to Obama this same book in a press conference after becoming president of Venezuela and arriving for the first time in America. Chavez was implying to Obama to learn the facts of The Conquest. This shows the significance this book has had on our world even so many years after its published date.
Hymie Israel
Notes:
Wrote this book during a coup that established a military dictatorship
Church was a progressive institution in Latin America at the time
Lived with Native Americans in jungles in the Amazon
Political analyst and people read what he wrote with care and attentiveness
His historiography and storytelling is like no other
Hugo Chavez gave Open Veins to President Obama after becoming the Venezuelan President
Comments:
I really like the fact that we got a perspective from someone who actually lived with Native Americans and understood their lifestyle. It’s also a little crazy to think that he wrote this book while there was a military coup which ended up in a dictatorship but yet he was still committed to his work. The fact that Hugo Chavez Gave President Obama Open Veins shows how important and influential the book was.
– Eduardo was an editor of a magazine in Uruguay
– Written on the cusp of the coup de tat
– First time someone put together a coherent story after the conquest up to the 20th century
– Had to live in exile in Buenos Aires and had to fight against the coup
– His sources were not books, stories were mostly from adventures where he met many natives
– The church was a progressive institution in Latin America and fought against the dictatorship
– Eduardo takes historical events and makes them into small anecdotes
– Invented this type of historical writing
A point that really stuck out to me in this lecture was the idea of the church being progressive in Latin America. Knowing that the European churches were largely run by power-hungry individuals who seek land and riches, it is interesting to see that the Latin American churches fought against the coup de tat that occurred in the region.
Stacy Keta
Notes:
– Eduardo Galeano was a magazine editor that wrote one of the first coherent accounts on the history of Latin America.
– Lived exiled in Buenos Aires.
– Had an adventurous life and wasn’t exactly a bookworm despite his poetic writing.
– Lived within Natives in jungles at some point.
– He wrote during a coup that established a military dictatorship. Was also a political analyst.
– Hugo Charles gave his piece to Barack Obama.
Comments:
I believe Galeano is an insightful and effective writer. His background makes this possible in terms of Latin American history. I found it intriguing that he was living amongst Native Americans in jungles at one point and think it makes the delivery of his writing more compelling because of the firsthand experience. Additionally, hearing about his trilogy made me more interested in him as a writer and also that his work made its way to Barack Obama. Not many writers can be that influential so I admire him a lot. He seemed to have experienced a lot in his lifetime, from living in exile to living with Natives, and this makes him more respectable in my opinion.
Amanda Ng
Notes:
-groundbreaking publication
-Galeano was editor of a socialist magazine in Uruguay
-after the coup, he had to live in exile where he worked on publishing
-his sources were not from libraries
-spent a lot of time with priests
-lived with Native Americans in jungles and wild corners in Latin America
-rare mix of meticulous journalism
-Open Veins is his first book
-many of the leaders of post-dictatorship have been inspired by him
-gave his book to Obama for him to learn the true history of Latin America
After watching the video and finding out who he really was and what he had to go through, I really admire him for his bravery and persistence because without it, Open Veins would not have been published. I found the reading to be really interesting because we got to see a mix of his own experiences since he went ahead and actually lived with the Native Americans to see how it was like. He also was risking his life because he was journaling during the coup. I find it respectable that many leaders were influenced by his book because it shows how significant his work had become and I’m glad his hard work and dedication were recognized.
-This book was a groundbreaking publication in the second half of the 20th Century in Latin America.
-Eduardo Galeno was an editor of a magazine in Uruguay.
-This book was written at the cusp of a military coup.
-This book told a coherent narrative history of Latin America which started from the Conquest all the way up to the 20th century.
-In 1973, he had to live in exile in Buenos Aires.
-Continued to work and publish articles and books.
-He spent a lot of time with Native Americans on the southern tip of Latin America.
-He had spent a lot of time with priests.
-The liberation technology was a huge component of the anti dictatorship movement.
Press was a very progressive force.
-The church was a progressive institution in Latin America.
-He was also an astute political analyst who wrote about current affairs his whole life.
-His work has a sense of poetry and literariness. A unique storyteller.
-Many leaders post dictatorship were influenced by Eduardo Galeno like when Hugo Chavez gave the book to Barack Obama.
Comments:
Eduardo Galeno was surrounded by these challenges that surrounded him yet he refused to back down. The dictatorship had taken a rough toll in his life but he never quit doing what he loved, which was writing articles. This makes me admire him for what he had accomplished and know the influence he had through his book. What I found interesting was that he spent a lot of time with Native Americans which showed that he got his information directly from the source that makes the book more authentic. Furthermore, this book had an influence on so many leaders that even Barack Obama received it to learn more about Latin America shows me the importance behind it. The details Galeno goes into about what had occurred through time and the use of his analogies made it more interesting for readers.
-Parneet Kaur
Nigya Thapa
Professor Amir Ahmadi
LTS 1003
October 18th, 2021
Blog #5
NOTES:
– A groundbreaking book
– Eduardo Galiano was a little known figure, He was an editor in Uruguay
– Uruguay was facing a military coup that established a military dictatorship in the 70s
– He wrote that in really difficult circumstances… he was doing multiple jobs at the same times, being an editor and doing manual labor, he wrote the book during the night, losing sleep
– After the coup in 1973, he lived in exile in Buenos Aires, and continued to publish in Argentina.
– He spent time a lot of time living with Native Americans on the Southern tip of Latin America
– He spent a lot of time with priests… Liberation Theology was a huge component of anti-dictatorship… priests were a very progressive institution in Latin America
– He lived with Native Americans in the amazon and in the jungles and other corners of Latin America
– When you read his work, the severely rare elements to the table as a writer… it is a very meticulous journal;, he observes everything very closely
– He was a very astute political analyst, people read his work with care and attentiveness
– He processes historical events differently, breaking them down, reducing the significance of them
– His readings are very light, they are like fairy tales
– When “Open Veins of Latin America” came out, it was a groundbreaking book
– He met with former President Barack Obama to inform him that if he wanted to learn the true history of Latin America, he should read the book itself
Comments:
After watching the video, it was interesting to listen about Galieno’s background because it added so much to the readings themselves. It was interesting to see that he was so dedicated to his work even after facing exile in Argentina. This showed commitment and perseverance as well. I was surprised to learn about him living with Native Americans and actually getting their side of the story because many historians and writers usually don’t try to spend time or get to know the Native Americans on a personal basis before writing.
Julia Pedersen
Notes:
He wrote this under difficult circumstances since he was an editor and did other manual labor
It was the first time there was a coherent narrative of Latin America from The Conquest to the 20th century.
He had to live in exile, where he continued to work and publish works.
He was not exactly a book worm- his sources were not libraries. He had an adventurous life by spending a part of his life with Native Americans in jungles and other parts of Latin America.
His work has a sense of poetry and he is a unique storyteller. They read almost like fairy tales.
Personal Thoughts:
I like the story behind this book, mainly because of how he got his information for it. He lived with the Native Americans and was able to hear first-hand accounts, along with the stories that have been passed down through generations. He did not simply recount what he read in books, then wrote it in his. This makes his book stand out, along with the poetic style of writing that keeps the reader interested. The fact that he continued to write even while in exile shows his true passion behind the book, therefore I find it reliable.
Hymie Israel
I also like this book based on the fact that the author actually lived with the Native Americans and didn’t have to rely on sources to find because he is the source! It’s also incredible that he continued to write this book while under dictatorship and exile.
Julie Guo
Notes:
– Eduardo Galiano was a little down figure
– Editor of a magazine in Uruguay
– When Open Veins came out it was an earthquake
– It was the first time that someone had put together a coherent narrative of Latin America starting from the conquest all the way to the 20th century
– He had to live in exile in Buenos Aires
– Had an adventurous life
– Spent a lot of time living with Native Americans
– Spent a lot of time with priest
– Church was a very progressive institution in Latin America in the second half of the 20th century against military dictators
– Open Veins was gifted to Obama for him to learn about the true history of Latin America
Comments:
While watching the video, I was shocked to hear that the church was a very progressive institution in Latin America in the second half of the 20th century against military dictators. Usually, when I think of churches, I think of conservatives. In addition, I thought it was really interesting how he lived with the Native Americans. I think through this he was able to create an accurate story about the history of Latin America.
Julie,
I agree with you, I was shocked too when I heard about the church being progressive because when i think of the churches we have now, they are very conservative with their beliefs. For example, gay rights. Most churches do not believe in gay rights and view it as a “sin”. I believe there are just very few churches who are progressive with their beliefs and teachings.
from,
Jennifer Lee
Jhonathan Mizhquiri
Notes:
– Eduardo Galiano was an editor of a magazine in Uruguay
– Put together a story starting from the conquest all the way to the 20th century
– Book full of journalistic details
– He was a political analyst
– Open Veins of Latin America was his first piece of work
– Had an adventurous lifestyle
-Lived with Native Americans for a long time
– Veins of Latin America was a groundbreaking book
– Book was given to Obama, so he could “understand the history”
– His technique and storytelling was the first of its kind.
Comments:
I admire his perseverance after all the controversy he endured during his journey. His book along with his technique was the first of its kind, his storytelling was exceptional and the content within the story was groundbreaking.
JENNIFER LEE’S notes:
-Setting: 2nd half of 20th century in Latin America. Aurthor: Eduardo Gagliano- editor of socialist magazine in Uruguay and wrote it in military coup and established the military dictatorships in the 70ths.
-Importance: A coherent narrative of Latin America starting from conquest to 20th century
-Spent a lot of time with Native Americans and priest in progressive of anti-dictatorship
-Gave book to Obama the true history of Latin America
Comments:
I didn’t realize the deep importance of this text until the professor explained it more. With the additional background of Eduardo Gagliano’s environment, I was able to understand more of text and why he felt a certain way. However, while reading the text, I didn’t interpret it as an adventurous story-telling book but a straight forward text with easy-understanding facts and accounts. It was interesting to me to see another perspective of it.
Clarissa Reynolds
-Ground breaking publication
-editor of magazine
-Lived with native americans in jungles
-Rare mix of meticular journalism
-Open veins is his first book
-Was a political analyst
-His books read like fairytales
-Gave book to obama
I think it is interesting how he got his information for his stories. He got his information first hand from Native Americans who he lived with and from the stories that have been told through generations rather than from other pieces of work. I like that he does this because it gives their direct perspective rather than their perspective told by someone else.
Alice Gonzalez
Notes:
-Open veins ~groundbreaking publication of the 20th century Latin America
-Eduardo Gagliano~know figure as editor of a magazine in Uruguay
-wrote the book during a military coup ~during the established military dictatorship in Uruguay in the 70s
-Book influence ~an earthquake ~ someone put a coherent narrative of Latin America from the conquest to 20th century
-after the coup in 1973 Eduardo lived in exile in buenos aires
-Eduardo a journalist didn’t have library sources ~spent time living with native Americans and priests
– liberation theology a component in the anti-dictatorship movement
-book ~meticouous journalism ~full of journalistic details
-Eduardo ~an astute political analyst -wrote on current affairs
-historical events into anecdotes
Thoughts:
In my analysis of Eduardo Gagliano’s writing style, I see an influence due to his sources having primary, in-person origins. These sources allow for personal and far in-depth details on the lives of those who live in Latin America. Sanctioning Lain American people an outlet to voice their opinions and to provide an inside glimpse into their lifestyles. I also admired Eduardo’s persistence in containing his work, following his exile. This exhibits how deeply Eduardo cared for his work, as he persisted in several obstacles.
10/18/21
Randy Huynh
-When Open Veins came out, Galeano was little known and he was taking jobs like manual labor and editing.
-Galearno began as editor of socialist magazine
-Fighting military dictatorship in Uruguay at the time the book was written.
-Galearno spent a lot of time traveling with Native Americans and also worked with priests.
-At the time the church was a very progressive institution, so its involvement of sorts with Liberation Theology was relatively important to the anti-dictatorship sentiments
-Galeano’s first work was Open Veins of Latin America.
-Obama received a copy of Galeano’s work
I’d like to make a connection between Galeano and Hernan Diaz, the author of the Conquest of New Spain. Both these men were authors of groundbreaking works that sparked many contemporary discussions and debates revolving around the tumultuous history of Latin America. These books, Open Veins and Conquest of New Spain are instrumental in learning about the history of this nation because they provide unique perspectives on the matters. Galeano sheds his perspective and shows a little bit of the time he spent with the Native Americans. On the other hand, Diaz sheds light on his perspective as a first hand witness of history. He embodies the point of view of the conquistadors in his narrative. To sum, both these works and these authors are well deserving of their attention when it comes to the discussion around the history of Latin America
Nur Rahman
Notes
-Galeano wrote his book during a coup while he was in harsh conditions and doing manual labor
-He published articles most of his life
-He lived with Native Americans in the Southern tip of Latin America, the south of Argentine and Chile
-There is a sense of poetry and literariness in his writing
-Makes the stories into little anecdotes and had a very unique writing style
-Barack Obama was given Open Veins by Hugo Chavez so he could know about Latin American History
Comment:
The story about what Galeano was going through while writing this book is fascinating. He was going through so much while writing this book like going through a coup and even living in jungles with the Native Americans. I wonder how the Natives reacted to Galeano living with them. I also enjoyed reading this book because of the way Galeano wrote it. It was a straightforward yet adventurous narrative and made me want to keep reading.
Bridget Campanelli
Notes
Galeano wrote the book while being a magazine editor and doing manual labor on the side
First time someone had put together a coherent narrative of Latin American history
Spent a lot of time living with native Americans in South America
Church was very progressive against military dictatorship
Galeano lived with native Americans in amazon jungles
Later books contain a lot of skill and excellent journalism
Was a very astute political analyst, wrote about current affairs
People read his work with care and attentiveness
Sense of poetry to his writing, unique storyteller
Processes historical events into small anecdotes
One of the first to use his style of writing
Hugo Chavez (president of Venezuela) gave Obama the book and told him to read it to learn the true history of Latin America
Comments
After watching the video and learning more about Galeano’s life, it gave me more of an insight into who he was as a person. I gained a lot of respect for his dedication to his work, because even as he had other jobs as an editor and doing manual labor, he still found time to write the book to show the truth behind Latin America’s history. He was the first to put together a coherent narrative of the entire history. He even lived with Native Americans in amazon jungles, so he had a first hand experience he could use to put his perspective into the book. He had a very unique style of writing to keep the reader interested in the book and wrote with a sense of poetry and like a storyteller. His writing was widely respected and read by many throughout the world.
Tercia Dobrzynski
Open Veins Notes:
– When the book came out, it was the first time someone had put together a coherent narrative of Latin America, starting from the conquest all the way to the 20th century
– Galeano worked for a socialist magazine prior to the coup
– Galeano is a rare example today of a journalist who was not a bookworm, in the sense that his sources were not libraries
– He spent a lot of time living with native Americans in the southern tip of South America,
– He used a lot of theology as his resources, as he spent much time with priests during his time in the Americas
– The church was a progressive institution in Latin America
– Because of his life, he brings a lot of different elements in his writings, it is meticulous journalism
– Galeano’s political analysis was taken with high regard by readers
– Sense of poetry and literariness in his writing that comes out in his unique storytelling
Comment:
It is always interesting to learn about the background a life of an author. It gives a sense of where they are coming from in their writings. Hearing about Galeano’s life gave me a new sense of appreciation for the particular style in which he writes. Like you said, while his books are heavy in their material, they are written in a way that read as fairytales. By spending time with natives in Latin America, he was probably able to give a particular point of view and insight that is unique to his writings. I wonder what type of near death experiences he faced during his time spent with the natives.
I would agree with you on the fact that it’s interesting to learn about the background life of an author. It allows for the reader to have a deeper understanding and meaning when reading the text that they wouldn’t have had without knowing the information.
– Norbert Kopec
Alejandro Romero
Notes:
– “Open Veins” author Eduardo Galeano was a relatively unknown magazine editor before he wrote his book.
– Eduardo went through many difficulties while writing this book as he had to work many jobs in his country Uruguay, which was just beginning to experience a coup and dictatorship.
– His book became immediately popular as it was the first to really encapsulate the history of Latin America from the conquest to the 20th century.
– After the coup in 1973 he was forced to live in exile in neighboring Buenos Aires.
– He lived a very adventurous life spending a lot of time with natives and priests around the southern tip of the continent.
– His journaling background has made his writing style very detailed and has helped him in creating a unique anecdote filled storytelling aspect to his writing.
Comments:
Galeano definitely is regarded as a pivotal influence in the history of South America, and the telling of it, and deservedly so. His one of a kind approach to telling these important historical moments through a almost fairytale like technique is very impressive. Being able to accomplish and write the things he did while going through a coup, being exiled, and living in remote dangerous areas is an incredible feat.
Norbert Kopec
Notes:
– At the time of the book came out Galeano was a little know figure and editor of a socialist magazine
– First time someone put together a coherent narrative of Latin America starting from the conquest to the 20th century
– Galeano wasn’t necessarily a “book worm” meaning his sources weren’t necessarily libraries
– He spent time living with Native Americans in the wild corners of Latin America
– Galeano was also a political analyst
– Open Veins of Latin America was his first book
– Chavez handed president Obama a copy of the book in hopes of having him learn more about the history of Latin America
Comment:
I was interested to learn more background information about Galeano such as him being a journalist under a dictatorship. This can be extremely difficult due to the dangerous repercussions that could come with speaking out and censorship. I also found it quite interesting to see that Galeano took time to live in the wilderness with the Native Americans in Latin America. Not only is this an interesting way to gather information on the Native Americans but it is also one that not every person is capable of doing whether that be due to physical or intellectual factors. Some people simply wouldn’t be able to handle living in the wilderness as they are unaccustomed to such living and are unprepared.
Sanduni Samarasinghe
Notes:
-For the first time someone put a coherent narrative of Latin America
– Lived in exile in Buenos Aires, Argentina
– He was a journalist writer
– He spent a lot of time with priests, Church was a very important aspect in Latin America
– Galiano has a very interesting and unique way of writing
– He met Obama and gave him this book in hopes that is he read it that he would understand the true history of Latin America
Comments:
I think it was so interesting getting a background of Galiano because it really shows what he has gone through and through everything he still found the time to write a book. He was dedicated in making sure that everyone knew the truth about Latin America. The fact that Chaves brought this book to meet Obama just goes to show how impactful this book was. From this I understood how significant this book was in sending a message to not only Latin Americans but everyone who is eager to learn about its history.
Chris Sullivan – Notes
-the book was a very important writing that changed the way people viewed history in the later parts of the 20th century in Latin America.
-Eduardo Galeano was an editor for a Uruguayan magazine
-was popularized at the height of a military coup during the 1970s
-spent some time in Argentina and Chile with Natives
-priests and the idea of being freed from captors or oppressors were things that drove him
-the press and the church were very progressive during the time
-Galeano was an influential figure after the dictatorships were abolished for the most part in Latin America
While watching this video, I was intrigued by Galeano’s life as it contributed to the readings. It added another perspective to the way we’ve been reading the documents. He was extremely devoted to his life’s work, and stopped at nothing to get his message across. One thing that caught my attention was how he chose to stay and live the lives of Natives in Argentina and Chile. You don’t usually see authors actually spend an extended period of time in the environment they are writing about. It adds an extra level of legitimacy to his writing.
Ricky Chen
-Open veins was a groundbreaking publication in the second half of the 20th century in Latin America
-Eduardo Galeano at the time was an editor of a magazine in Uruguay right when there was a military dictatorship in the 70s
-This was the first time someone put together a coherent narrative of Latin America starting from the conquest until the 20th century
-Galeano worked as an editor for a socialist magazine but after the coup of the dictatorship, he lived in exile in Buenos Aires where he continued to publish articles
-Galeano spent a lot of time living with native Americans in Latin America and spent a lot of times with priests who were part of the liberation theology which were anti-dictatorship
-Galeano was a very astute political analyst who incorporated a lot of poetry and storytelling
-His storytelling is a new type of style that was not used by any writers before
-Caesar Chavez gave the book to Obama
Learning about Eduardo Galeano’s life story actually provided a more interesting context as to where he came from and why he wrote his novel. He had lived among the natives in Latin American so that provided him with many stories that he was able to use. Also, he was an editor for a very progressive magazine that was anti-dictatorship. As he was oppressed from his country in Uruguay, he could somehow relate to the Natives of having their homeland taken over and losing his homeland. It is remarkable how he was able to write such a story despite having to live in exile and pursuing a political stance in his writing.
Noshin Ahmed
Notes:
-Open Veins by Eduardo Galeano was a groundbreaking publication
-Eduardo Galeano was an editor of a magazine in Uruguay.
-Wrote this book right on the cusp of the military coup, which established a military dictatorship in Uruguay in the 70s.
-His book established the first time someone had put together a narrative from the conquest to the 20th century.
-Because of the military coup, he lived in exile in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
-There he continued his work, and continued to publish articles, while he was fighting against the military dictatorship.
-Spent a lot of time living with Native Americans and spent a lot of time with priests.
-This book is a rare mix of meticulous journalism
-He was also a political analyst
-His work/writing has a sense of poetry and literariness.
-Unique storytelling, processed grand historical events into little anecdotes.
-Hugo Chavez gave Barack Obama a copy of “Open Veins of Latin America.”
Comments:
I found it really interesting to learn about the unique writing style of Eduardo Galeano and how he incorporates his experience and poetic aspects into his writing. I found it satisfying to learn that Galeano had spent a lot of time living with Native Americans because it validates his writing much more. Eduardo Galeano had a really interesting life in my opinion. From being an editor and journalist to fighting against the military coups to living with Native Americans and spending time with priests, Galeano has experienced it all.
Alan Tupac
Notes on Open veins of Latin America:
-When the open veins of Latin America came out, Eduardo Galiano was living in Uruguay during a military coup that established a dictatorship in Uruguay during the 1970s.
-When the book came out it caused a shock wave throughout the world because it brought together a coherent narrative of Latin America.
-Eduardo spent a lot of time living with native Americans in the southern tip of South America
-The church was a very progressive institution in Latin America during the second half of the 20th century against military dictatorships.
-The first chapter of the book talks about the Spanish conquest of Latin America
-Eduardo can process gran historical events into little anecdotes without losing or reducing the significance of the events
-when Hugo Chavez traveled to the US to meet President Barack Obama, he handed him the book, open veins of Latin America to help inform the president about the true history of Latin America
Comments:
After watching the video I was surprised to learn that Galiano had to deal with so much danger and stress while writing his masterpiece due to living in Uruguay when it was under a military dictatorship. I was also intrigued that Galiano lived with many different indigenous groups throughout Latin America and how he managed to overcome death on multiple occasions despite the odds being stacked against him. In addition, I was impressed that Galiano continued to work on his book knowing that his life would be at risk to provide the world with the true narrative of Latin America.
Genesis Aguirre
Notes on Open Veins Of Latin America
-Galeano was an editor for a Socialist magazine
-He wrote the book at a very important time where a dictatoship was established in Paraguay.
-He had written a clear and cyhronologygical order events of Latin America.
-He had to live in Exile in Argentina.
-He spend time with priest because The Church was against military governments.
-Galeano lived with Native Americans in jungle areas.
-Hugo Chavez brought former president Barack Obama a copy of the book when they meet.When Chavez. became president of Venezuela.
Comments:
After watching the video I have formed the idea that Galeano was a very brave writer and journalist. He went a step ahead in the name of work, he lived with Native American. Many times is written through the eyes of the winners, and the legacies and stories of those who lost are forgotten. But I feel that having had connections to the other side of the story allowed for a broader understanding when it came to the book. Also the fact that Galeano wrote the book while in exile from a military dictatorship is very admirable.
– Eduardo Galeano was an editor of a socialist magazine
– was also a political analyst
– wrote about a coup that replaced socialist attempts with right-wing dictators
– fled to Buenos Aires in exile
– although Galeano was a progressive, he accredited the Church quite hypocritically (Liberation Theology)
– his writings are very meticulous— was acknowledged by how detailed his writing is
– his book “Open Veins of Latin America” was critically proclaimed
– Hugo Chavez gifted this work to Obama, making Galeano globally acknowledged
I really appreciated Galeano’s appearance in this class. Galeano, among many other latin american leftists, are never taught about in global history classes. His unique flair for accounting important historical moments through an almost fairytale-like story is very juxtaposing. While it makes the material interesting to read, it sugar coats the actual brutalities of fascism in Latin America. It’s important to remember politics are discussed differently all over the world. Learning about Galeano and his work helps to destigmatize socialism and leftism.